If The Stars Could Match Your Beauty
by Eiedolon
Summary: As Hinata and Naruto start becoming closer, they are each plagued by horrible nightmares. As they search for the cause, they become closer than ever. I'm not good at summaries, but read and review! chapter two in progress.


I awoke in a cold sweat, sitting straight up in my bed. I panted heavily, my eyes wide open as I eyes scanned my rather drab, empty apartment. I didn't have much, but I didn't mind. My friends were all I really needed, and after all, I had lived like this my entire life.

I rubbed my palms into my eyes, sighing sadly. Another nightmare. Finding myself unable to sleep, I got up, put on my usual orange clothes, and headed out into the night. I needed to clear my head.

I wandered around the pitch black town, not really having any destination. All the lights in the houses were off, and I could feel a slight drizzle begin to pour, but I liked the rain. It was soothing, helping me to forget my worries. Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me, and I whipped around, throwing out my fist, just barely missing the figure.

"That's a pleasant way to greet a friend, Naruto," said Sasuke in his dull, indifferent tone. I stood back up out of my defensive position, rubbing the back of my head as I gave him an embarrassed grin.

"Sorry about that Sasuke! But hey, what's the big idea? Why are you following me around at five in the morning, huh?" I replied heatedly. He rolled his eyes at me and crossed his arms.

"I had a nightmare. I woke up and saw you walking outside, so I decided to follow you." he said quietly. I had a feeling that he wasn't being completely truthful, but I decided not to push the matter further.

"You too, huh? Same thing happened to me. I just needed to get some fresh air. You wanna walk with me?" I asked him politely, and he shrugged and fell into step beside me. I stared at my feet as we walked, my hands buried in my pockets.

"What's on your mind?" my friend asked simply. I looked up at him quickly, and then moved my gaze to off in the distance.

"These dreams I keep having… I feel like something's coming. Something's rising up out of the depths of hell unlike anything we've ever seen before. I don't know what makes me say this… but I can feel it growing. Getting stronger. And it's coming for me… and it'll destroy everyone else just to get me…" I told him worriedly. Sasuke glanced at me nervously. We stopped, and he turned to me.

"Naruto, have you talked to the Hokage about this?" he asked. I shook my head

"I think it might be a good idea. And also… as long as we stick together, nothing can defeat us. We're ninja. Experienced ninja. We've faced so much, and we've grown so strong, I know we can handle anything this world will throw at us. After all, we are the two most powerful ninja of our age. So even if there is something coming… it doesn't stand a chance." He said. My jaw dropped. Sasuke hardly ever said things like that. I grinned at him confidently and gave him a slight nod. The sun was beginning to peek its face above the horizon, and I stared at it for a moment.

"Hey Sasuke, you wanna go get some breakfast? My treat!" I asked as we walked with our hands in our pockets.

"No thanks, Naruto. I'm going to go buy some new supplies from that shinobi store that just opened this week. I'll catch you later." He said before disappearing. I shrugged, and filled with a new energy, I laughed into the brightening sky and began to sprint for Ichiraku Ramen as fast as I could. Of course, not looking where I was going, I plowed into somebody as top speed, sending us both sprawling as I heard a high scream pierce the early morning buzz of the town springing to life.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I should have been looking where—Oh, hello there, Naruto!" said a red-faced Hinata as she struggled to make words. I often wondered if she had a speech impediment, or something.

"I'm sorry for runnin' into you, Hinata! I was just in a rush to get some food! To repay you for this little er... incident, would you like to join me?" I said, giving her my signature grin. She blushed even redder than she already was, and stuttered to give me an answer that I couldn't understand.

"C'mon! Please? I'll pay for it! Anywhere you want!" I said. She struggled to pull herself together, taking deep breaths and struggling not to faint. Noticing that we were still on the ground with a bunch of her items strewn across the ground around, I pulled her up onto her feet, gathered her items into the small crate she had been caring them in, and tucked it under my arm.

"You know I'm not taking no for an answer!" I told her. She gulped, took another deep breathe, and spoke.

"There's a little place owned by a friend of mine, not too far from here. Would you like to go there?" she said nervously, twiddling her thumbs.

"Lead the way, Hinata!" I exclaimed, and we set off for breakfast. We didn't talk much on the way there. She seemed to have a lot on her mind. I caught her sneaking glances at me every now and then, and I started to worry. We came to a small restaurant that I forgot to read the name of before we walked in.

"Good morning, Oishima!" Hinata called to the lady standing behind the counter as we took our seats in front of her.

"Why, hello there, Hinata, good morning to you as well! Who is your little friend?" she asked in a kindly matter. I was about to get worked up over being called "little", but I decide to let it slide.

"This is Naruto Uzumaki! Naruto, this is Oishima! She used to be a powerful kunoichi, but she's retired now." Hinata said with enthusiasm. I smiled at her.

"Is that so? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Oishima! This is a nice little place you've got here," I said kindly. She gave me a strange look.

"So this is the boy you're always talking about, Hinata?" she said questioningly. Hinata blushed madly and tilted her head to the floor.

"Well, I, uh… you see…" she stammered.

"That's right, ma'am! Glad to hear that somebody's talking about me, I thought I was the only one!" I exclaimed, laughing out loud. I noticed that although her expression was kind, there was something familiar in her eyes that I could see through her disguise.

Loathing.

Fear.

Distrust.

I shrugged it off and turned to meet Hinata's gaze with a grin.

"Yeah! I tell Teuchi and Ayame down at Ichiraku's about you and the others all the time! I tell them all about your skill and determination, all kinds of things!" I said, throwing out another of my signature smiles. Hinata fainted, and I caught her. I looked up at Oishima embarrassedly.

"I don't know about you, but she seems to do this a lot. Do you think she might have blood pressure problems or somethin'?" I asked. I pulled her over to one of the benches, shaking her awake gently. When she came to, I smiled at her.

"Mornin', sleepin' beauty! It's nice to see that you're finally awake! Are you alright?" I teased. She blushed again, but luckily, didn't pass out this time.

"Y-yes, thank you. Are you ready to eat, Naruto?" she asked. I gave her a wolfish grin.

"Yeah! I'm starvin'!" I called Oishima over and we each ordered rice and tea. As she brought us our food, a group of about a half dozen villagers walked in, laughing and being loud and disrespectful. I groaned inwardly and rolled my eyes. They all looked to be in their late teens to early twenties. I stared at them over Hinata's shoulder.

"I'll be with you in just a moment!" Oishima called to them.

"Hurry it up, old lady, you got folks starving over here!" one of them called rudely. I growled under my breath, but Hinata heard. She looked at me, and I glanced at her. We were thinking the same thing.

Oishima sighed. "I'm coming, just calm yourself!" she said as she dusted her hands on her apron and approached them.

"Took you long enough, you old bat! Next time, don't make us wait!" said the same guy. I clutched my hands into fists.

"What'd you say to me, you little—"

"You heard me, grandma! I think your hearing is starting to go, old lady. And very grouchy as well. I expect free food for your terrible customer service. Right, fellas?" he said, chuckling at his own arrogance.

By the time I was halfway to my feet, Hinata was already at Oishima's side.

"Who do you think you are, barging into this woman's restaurant and treating her so poorly? You should be ashamed!" Hinata shouted at him. He stood up to face Hinata, towering over her.

"Mind your own business brat!" he said, pushing both Oishima and Hinata backwards, slamming them both into the counter. Hinata grunted in pain, but Oishima was even worse. She shrieked loudly, falling to the floor. I was on my feet now, fuming with anger. The man approached Hinata, his friends standing behind him.

"Look what you made me do, little girl! You trying to play hero has cost me my breakfast. And now it's your turn to pay!" he shouted, pulling out a knife. Hinata didn't move, it was like she was frozen. He moved to pull the knife down on her, and she just stood there. Letting out a scream of anger, I moved as quickly as I could, catching the man's hand when it was mere inches from Hinata. I growled furiously. Oishima lay on the floor, watching us intently as she whimpered in pain.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Disrespecting Oishima, hurting her, and trying to kill Hinata? You deserve to rot in prison! If there's even enough of you left when I'm done with you to lock in a cell!" I threatened. As he started to laugh, I punched him so hard in the chest that he flew through his friends, knocking them all over in the process, slammed into the wall behind him, and then smashed through it onto the ground on the other side.

The people that he had been with were long gone. I held his collar with one hand and created a clone. Forming the Rasengan in my free hand, I held it close to his belly.

"How does it feel? To feel like I could end your life before you could even so much as blink?! I should kill you right here!" I shouted before slamming my hand into the dirt by his side. He whimpered quietly, trying to form words, but failing. Hinata and Oishima watched from inside.

"I should, but I won't. You'll suffer more in prison anyway. But for now, I'll just leave you with a little parting gift!" I said. I slammed my fist into his face and knocked him out cold.

I rushed back over to Oishima, helping to hold her head off the ground.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" I asked calmly. She glanced up at me, gritting her teeth in pain.

"I think I've injured my hip. I need to see a doctor, quickly," she said. I nodded. As I was about to speak, Kiba barged in, Akamaru perched atop his head as always.

"Hey guys, what's the big commotion?" he asked as Akamaru yipped excitedly. I gave him a brief rundown of what had happened.

"Kiba, do you think that you could go and find Sakura and bring her here? I'm going to bring that scumbag outside to Lady Tsunade. Hinata, will you stay here with Oishima until we return?" I said. They both nodded, and Kiba and I departed. I stepped out through the hole I had made and slung the bastard over my shoulder roughly, setting off toward the Hokage's office.

.~/*\~.

"So that's the infamous Naruto Uzumaki, eh? He's quite the character," Oishima said. I blushed madly at the mention of his name.

"Y-yes, he is. He's just… amazing. In every way I can think of. So strong, and resilient, and determined, and so many other things. I wish I could be more like him," I admitted, bowing my head.

"Don't speak like that, Hinata. It seems to me that you're more like him than you realize. I'll tell you one thing… that display of righteousness wasn't exactly what I expected. It's a wonder that he turned out… good, I suppose," she said. I raised my eyes to meet hers as she lay on the floor.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked defensively.

"After everything that he is. After what happened that night so many years ago..." she trailed off. I listened to every word with bated breath.

"What? What happened, Oishima?" I asked hurriedly.

"It was back when the Fourth Hokage was still around. I was an aging Jonin. The night the Hokage died… well… I suppose it's not really my place to say. I'll tell you one thing, little Hyuuga. There is more to that boy than you know. Be careful. He's dangerous, that's for sure. But don't pester him. Let him tell you on his own. And try not to get too attached. That boy is destined to destroy all he touches." She said in warning.

I was about to argue, but I was interrupted by the noise of clattering wood and clinking metal. I turned to see Naruto disappearing in a flash of orange as a pile of wooden boards and a bucket of nails and a hammer clashed to the ground.

.~/*\~.

I approached Oishima's restaurant, carrying wood and nails that I had picked up from the hardware store on the way back. It had nearly emptied my wallet, but I didn't think much of it. As I came up to the hole in the wall, I heard Hinata and the woman talking from within. On impulse, I hid right outside, struggling to hear them. I heard Oishima talking.

"…There is more to that boy than you know. Be careful. He's dangerous, that's for sure… And try not to get too attached. That boy is destined to destroy all he touches…" I heard. As pain and hurt bubbled to the surface, I stepped forward and tossed the supplies to the ground before disappearing, trying to escape. I didn't sense any pursuer, but I pushed myself as hard as I could anyway. I arrived at my home within minutes and barricaded myself inside, throwing myself down onto the bed as tears spilled from my eyes. I hadn't felt like such a child in a long time.

.~/*\~.

"Oh, Naruto…" I said sadly, my head slumping down in disgrace. I knew there was no way I could catch him. He was long gone by now. I sighed unhappily and collapsed to the floor.

"Oh, dear… Hinata, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to—"

"She's right in here, Sakura!" came a voice from the door. It was Kiba, with Sakura following close on his heels. I stood by while Sakura tended to Oishima. I didn't know what to do. Stand by while Naruto was off somewhere upset? Stay and help take care of Oishima? Go home and pretend that nothing had happened.

That definitely wasn't an option. I stood up and fearlessly asked Sakura where Naruto lived. After getting the directions, I headed off.

When I got there, all the curtains were drawn shut and nobody answered the door. I assumed he wasn't home, but I knew better. Using the Byakugan, I looked inside of Naruto's home to find him laying face down on his bed. Frowning, I jumped up to his balcony.

"Naruto! Let me inside, I want to talk with you!" I shouted through the glass. A moment later, a pillow collided with the curtain in front of me. I knocked hard on the window. "Naruto! I'm not leaving until we've talked!" I yelled. When he didn't respond, I sat down. Of course, at that very instant, a giant bolt of lightning split the sky, startling me so badly I shrieked, and rain began to pour down in sheets. I crossed my arms determinedly, not moving an inch. However, when the loud crack of thunder sounded once more, I jumped fearfully.

.~/*\~.

I laid in my bed, staring at the curtains. On the other side of those curtains was a sad, frightened, soaking wet Hinata. She had been out there for nearly fifteen minutes. And upset or not, I couldn't let her stay out there. I'd never forgive myself if I let that happen. I sighed, got up, and moved to the door. I threw open the curtains and slid the door open.

"Get in here, before you get sick," I said, offering her my hand to pull her up, and she nearly slipped on the wet floor. I let her inside, instructing her to go to the bathroom and take off her wet clothes as I closed the door. I then brought her a towel and some of my old clothes to change into.

When she came out, she was wearing a pair of black shorts and a white shirt, and I had to admit, she looked absolutely adorable. I was sitting on my unmade bed, and I gestured for her to come join me. She sat next to me, shivering intensely. Concerned, I felt her forehead. She had a fever. I took off my jacket and helped her into it, trying to warm her up some, but it didn't help much. I even tucked her into my bed, and then pulled extra blankets out of the closet

"I-I'm sorry to be such a burden, Naruto. I didn't m-mean t-to," she said quietly.

"Burden? Burden? Are you kidding, it's great to have you here! It's kinda like having a cell mate for a day, y'know? It's not quite so lonely. You're actually the first friend that's ever been in here. Anyway, I'm just sorry for leaving you out there to soak for so long! I thought you'd just go away. Can you forgive me, Hinata?" I said, kneeling over the bed to beg for forgiveness.

She giggled sweetly and nodded at me, and I smiled back. She reached out of her mountain of blankets and patted the spot on the bed next to her with her hand, and I moved up to lie next to her. She threw off her blankets and scooted closer to me, going so far as to wrap her arms around me. I gasped. This was so unlike Hinata. I had never seen her so bold, so fearless, so… conscious while she was around me. And although I guessed that it was just because she was sick out of her mind and hallucinating or something, I couldn't help but smile. Nobody had ever shown me affection like this before. If it was even affection.

I shook that thought from my head. Negative thoughts never helped anything. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her against my body. She was blushing bright red, but surprisingly, she was still conscious. I pulled a strand of lose hair up to her ear, and she opened her eyes to look at me.

"Why are you doing this, Hinata? I asked a little awkwardly.

"Because I'm c-c-cold, silly," was her simple answer. I smiled at her cuteness and snuggled up closer. It was definitely an enjoyable experience. She was so warm, so cute, and she fit perfectly against me. "Fair enough," I said, smiling to myself. The room seemed to grow comfortably warm and I started to struggle to keep my eyes open. And without another thought, I fell asleep in Hinata's arms.


End file.
